Filled and sealed easily opened bag and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A filled and sealed bag made of paper or similar flexible sheet material, and particularly well adapted for containing a sterile article, includes a front panel defining one wall of a pocket for containing the article. This front panel contains a relatively long slit covered by a closure strip which may be peelably removed from the bag to expose the slit and to allow the article to be removed from the bag, the adhesive used to hold the closure strip to the front panel being spaced a considerable distance from the edges of the slit so as to avoid the possibility of contaminating the enclosed object. The bag is made and filled by a process which includes slitting a web of sheet material along its length, applying and securing a closure strip to the slit web to rejoin the severed portions of the web and then forming bags from the web by folding and sealing individual pieces of the web which individual pieces are cut from the web to separate the individual bags.

United States Patent Stone July4,1972

Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, .lr. Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. MarAttorney-McCormick, Paulding & Huber [5 7] ABSTRACT A filled and sealedbag made of paper or similar flexible sheet material, and particularlywell adapted for containing a sterile article, includes a front paneldefining one wall of a pocket for containing the article. This frontpanel contains a relatively long slit covered by a closure strip whichmay be peelably removed from the bag to expose the slit and to allow thearticle to be removed from the bag, the adhesive used to hold theclosure strip to the front panel being spaced a considerable distancefrom the edges of the slit so as to avoid the possibility ofcontaminating the enclosed object. The bag is made and filled by aprocess which includes slitting a web of sheet material along itslength, applying and securing a closure strip to the slit web to rejointhe severed portions of the web and then forming bags from the web byfolding and sealing individual pieces of the web which individual piecesare cut from the web to separate the individual bags.

10 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures- PATENTEDJUL 4 I972 SHEET 2 OF 4 I TooPEN' 1 START HER FILLED AND SEALED EASILY OPENED BAG AND METHOD OFMAKING SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates tocontainers made of flexible sheet material such as paper, and deals moreparticularly with such containers which are prefilled, sealed andprovided with a means enabling each container to be readily opened byhand. It additionally relates to methods for making such a container.

Containers of the type with which this invention is concemed aresometimes commonly referred to as bags, flexible packages, envelopes, orpouches, and for the purpose of this description are referred to hereinas bags.

It is common in the packaging art to manufacture, fill and seal bags inone overall operation and to provide the bags so formed with a tearstrip or similar means enabling them to be easily opened by hand tofacilitate the removal of their contents. The general object of thisinvention is to provide an improved bag of this character which may bemade by a simple web forming process and which additionally particularlylends itself to use with sterile articles such as surgical sponges anddressings. In keeping with this, a more specific object of the inventionis to provide a bag which may be filled with an object and latersterilized in the bag after the bag is sealed, the bag thereaftermaintaining the object in a sterile condition until opened and beingcapable of being opened and its contents removed with minimal likelihoodof contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention resides in a bag made offlexible sheet material and including overlying front and rearrectangular panels joined at their edges to form an object receivingpocket. The front panel includes an elongated slit covered by a closurestrip bonded thereto by an adhesive or other bonding means enabling theclosure strip to be peeled from the front panel when desired to exposethe slit and allow the contents of the pocket to be removed therefrom.The adhesive or other bonding agent is located a substantial distancefrom the edges of the slit so as to avoid the possibility of itscontacting and contaminating the enclosed article. Also, the fact thatthe slit is preformed by a clean cut eliminates the need for tearing anyfibers during the opening process and accordingly eliminates raggededges and loose fibers that might contaminate the enclosed object as itis removed from the bag. The front panel may also include a second slitwhich with the first slit defines an intermediate strip which is securedto the closure strip and which is removed from the front panel with theclosure strip when the closure strip is peeled therefrom to expose awide open mouth through which the contents of the bag may be more easilyremoved.

The invention also resides in the method for making a bag such asaforementioned and which method includes the steps of providing a pieceof sheet material, slitting it, rejoining the slit portions with aclosure strip and then forming the rejoined portions into a bag in sucha manner that the closure strip in the finished bag appears on theoutside of the bag and may be readily grasped to peel it from the bagand to expose the slit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank ofsheet material from which a bag embodying the present invention may bemade.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 as viewed from theside thereof opposite from the side facing the viewer in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the blank of FIG. 1 at asubsequent stage of its development into a finished ha FIG. 5 is a viewsimilar to FIG. 4 but showing the blank of FIG. 3 in a subsequent stageof its development toward a finished bag.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but shows the bag in its finishedstate.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, drawn on a scale slightly enlarged fromthat of FIGS. 1 to 6, showing the finished bag of FIG. 6 as viewedlooking generally toward the front panel thereof and with the closurestrip partially peeled from the front panel to partially expose the slittherein through which the contents of the bag may be removed.

FIG. 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view showing a device forperforming the initial steps of the process used to make the bags ofFIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a finished bag comprising an alternativeembodiment of this invention, the closure strip of the bag being shownpartially removed from the front panel and a portion of the closurestrip being shown broken away to reveal other details of construction.

FIG. 1 I is a side view showing somewhat diagrammatically a device forperforming the initial steps of a process for making the bag of FIG. 10.FIG. 12 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material from which a bagcomprising another embodiment of the present invention may be made.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material from which a bagcomprising still another embodiment of the present invention may bemade.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a finished bag made from a blanksuch as that shown in FIG. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning to the drawings, FIGS.1, 2 and 3 show a blank of paper or similar sheet material from whichone form of bag embodyinG this invention may be made. FIGS. 4 and 5 showthe blank of FIG. 1 at intermediate stages in the development of thefinished bag; FIG. 6 shows the finished bag as viewed from the rearpanel thereof; and FIG. 7 shows the finished bag as viewed from thefront panel thereof and in a partially opened condition. Consideringfirst FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the blank of sheet material is there indicatedat 10 and comprises a generally rectangular piece of paper or othersimilar flexible sheet material commonly used for making bags. The sixverti cal lines 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 and the two horizontal lines24 and 26 are fold lines about which the blank is subsequently folded toform the finished bag. The blank consists of a main piece of sheetmaterial 1 l and a second piece of sheet material referred to as aclosure strip 30. The line 28 represents a slit extending the fulllength of the main piece 11 and dividing such piece into two separateparts. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two parts of the piece 1 l arejoined by the closure strip 30 which is bonded to the outer side or faceof the piece 1 l.

The bonding of the closure strip 30 to the main piece 11 is of such anature that the closure strip may subsequently be peeled from the mainpiece by manually pulling it therefrom. Preferably, this bonding isaccomplished by means of a stripable adhesive material applied betweenthe closure strip and the piece 1 1. As will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3,the closure strip 30 extends the full length of the blank 10 and has awidth approximately but not limited to being equal to the spacingbetween the fold lines 16 and 18. The zones at which the adhesive isapplied is shown in FIG. 3 and includes two lengthwise extending lines32 and 34 of adhesive and two transverse lines 36 and 38 of adhesive. Asused herein, the term adhesive is intended to include such materials assynthetic or natural rubber latex which some times are more specificallyreferred to as cohesives, and one preferred form of adhesive for joiningthe closure strip to the blank is liquid latex which is initiallyapplied to both the main piece 1 1 and to the closure strip 30 beforethe two are brought together, and which thereafter cohesively bonds theclosure strip and the piece 11 to one another when the closure strip isbrought into position adjacent the piece 11. In the case where acohesive is used as the bonding agent, the closure strip prior to beingjoined with the piece 1 I may on the side thereof eventually facing thepiece 11 be entirely coated with the cohesive and the piece 1 1 may becoated with the same cohesive along the seal lines 32, 34,36, and 38.From FIG. 3, it should especially be noted that adjacent the lefthandend of the blank, as viewed therein, the transverse seal line 38 isspaced a slight distance from the free end edge of the blank so thatadjacent such free edge the closure strip is unattached to the blank soas to enable it to be grasped by the user as hereinafler explained inmore detail. This may or may not be the case with transverse seal 36, asdesired.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the main panels of the finished bag arelocated between the two horizontal fold lines 24 and 26, and theportions of the blank located outboard of the fold lines 24 and 26comprise end flaps used in sealing the ends of the bag. Considering theportions of the blank located between the horizontal fold lines 24 and26, the portion located between the fold lines 16 and 18 in the finishedbag comprises a front panel 40. The portion located between the foldlines 14 and 16 comprises a gusset panel 42, the portion located betweenthe fold lines 12 and 14 comprises a gusset panel 44, the portionlocated between the fold line 18 and the fold line 20 comprises a gussetpanel 46, and the portion located between the fold line20 and the foldline 22 comprises a gusset portion 48. Outboard of the fold line 12 is arear panel or edge portion 50:: and outboard of the fold line 22 is therear panel or edge portion 50b which panel portions 50a and 50b in thefinished envelopes are adhesively sealed to one another and define arear panel 50 shown in FIGS. and 6. Outboard of the upper horizontalfold line 24 is an end flap 52 connected with the front panel 40, endflaps 54, 56, 58 and 60 connected with the gusset panels 42, 44, 46 and48, respectively, and end flaps 60a and 60b connected with the rearpanel portions 501; and 50!) respectively and which in the finishedenvelope collectively define an end flap 60 for the rear panel, as shownin FIG. 5. Likewise, outboard of the lower horizontal fold line 26 theblank includes an end flap 62 connected with the front panel 40, endflaps 64, 66, 68 and 69 respectively connected with the gusset panels42, 44, 46 and 48, and the end flaps 70a and 70b connected with the rearpanel portions 500 and 50b and which in the finished envelope togetherdefine an end flap 70 for the rear panel 50, as shown in FIG. 5. I

In making a bag from the blank 10 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the blank isfirst folded along the fold lines l2, l4, l6, 18, and 22s indicated inFIGS. 4 and 5, and the rear panel portions 504 and 5012 are bonded toone another by a line of adhesive 72, shown in FIG. 4, to form the rearpanel 50 and to form the blank into a generally tubular body. The gussetpanels 42 and 44 and 46 and 48 connect the front panel 40 to the rearpanel 50 along the two side edges of the front panel and allow forexpansion of the bag to suit its contents. As shown in FIG. 5, thegusset panels 42 and 44 and 46 and 48 are sandwiched between the frontand rear panels and extend inwardly from the side edges thereof when thebag is in its flattened condition as shown in FIG. 5.

'Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the object to be contained in thefinished bag may be placed on the blank 10 prior to the initiation ofthe folding steps so that as the rear panel portions 50a and 50b arefolded over one another to form the rear panel 50 of the bag, they arealso folded over the object to be contained in the bag therebysandwiching the object between the front and rear panels and causingitto be sealed in the pocket of the bag after its ends are sealed ashereinafier described. As an alternative, the object to be contained inthe bag may be placed in the bag afier the blank is folded to the stageshown in FIG. 5, the article at this state being introduced into the bagby being slipped through one of its open ends, and if desired, the otherend of the bag may be sealed prior to this introduction.

After the blank 10 is processed to the stage shown in FIG. 5, and theobject to be contained therein introduced to its pocket, the ends of thebag are sealed. This is accomplished by folding the upper end flaps 52,54, 56, 58, 59 and 60 about the upper fold line 24 and sealing them tothe rear panel 50 by a line of adhesive 74. Similarly, the lower endflaps 62, 64, 66,

68, 69 and 70 are folded about the fold line 26 into overlyingrelationship with a part of the rear panel 50 and sealed to the rearpanel 50 by a line of adhesive 76. It should particularly be noted thatthe shape of the blank 10 is such that the end flaps 52 and 62 connectedto the main panel are longer than the end flaps 60 and 70 connected tothe rear panel so that the lines of adhesive 74 and 76 not only hold theend flaps to, the rear panel but effectively seal the openings at theends of the bags to prevent the escape of the contents of the bag andalso to prevent the ingress of bacteria or other contaminants.

It should also be noted that, as will perhaps best be understood fromFIG. 6, the fact that the transverse line of adhesive 38 joining theclosure strip 30 to the piece 11 terminates slightly short of the freeend of the end flap $2 enables the adjacent end portion of the closurestrip 30 to be grasped by hand to initiate its being peeled from the bagto open the bag, and preferably as indicated in FIG. 6, the portion ofthe closure strip which overlies the end panel 50 includes an ap-.propriate legend 78 instructing the user to initiate opening at thispoint. It is obvious, of course, that the opening may also be initiatedfrom the opposite closed end if the arrangement of the adhesive at suchother closed end is such as described above. As shown in FIG. 7,stripping of the closure strip from the finished package exposes theslit 28 in the front panel 40 and allows the contents 80 of the packageto be removed therefrom through the slit 28. Since the slit 28 isprefonned in the package by a clean cut, no tearing occurs as thepackage is opened and accordingly no loose fibers or ragged edges areproduced which are liable to cling to and contaminate the contents 80 asit is removed from the bag. Further, the adhesive located along theadhesive lines 32 and 34 is located a relatively great distance from theslit 28 so as not to be liable to contact and contaminate the objects 80as it is removed from the bag or while it is in the bag.

Various methods may be used to form the bag shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, butpreferably, the process employed includes initial steps whereby theblank 10 of FIG. 1, and a large number of identical blanks, is formedfrom a continuously or intermittently moving web of sheet material.FIGS. 8 and 9 by way of example show schematically a device forpracticing such steps. Referring to these figures, the blank 10 is madefrom a main web 82 of sheet material supplied from a roll 84.

From the roll 84, the web 82 is fed to an adhesive applying station 86at which adhesive is applied to the web, as by a roll 88, to form anadhesive pattern defining the adhesive lines 32, 34,

36 and 38 of each blank. Following this, the web 82 passes to a slittingstation 90 at which it is slit along its length, as V by slitting roll92 to form the slit 28 of each blank. Following the slitting station 90,the web passes to a marrying station 94 at which a narrower web 96 ismarried or bonded to the web 82 to form a closure strip 30 for each ofthe blanks subsequently cut from the web 82.

The narrow web 96 is supplied from a roll 98 and is bonded to the web 82by passing with the web 82 between two rolls 100 and 102. If a cohesivematerial such as latex is used to bond the web 96 to the web 82, theadhesive applied to the web 82 at the adhesive station 86 is a cohesivesuch as latex and the web 96 also includes a quantity of such cohesiveon the face thereof brought into contact with the web 82 so that thestrip 96 is cohesively joined to the web 82 by such material, andpreferably the entire extent of such face of web 96 is coated with thecohesive material. Following the marrying station 94, the web 82 is cutu'ansversely to separate therefrom individual blanks such as the blank10 of FIG. 1 and the blanks so fom'led are subsequently folded andsealed as required to form the finished package. The apparatus used forcutting and folding and sealing the blanks may take various differentforms well known to persons skilled in the art and need not be describedin detail.

FIG. 10 shows a bag comprising an alternative embodiment of thisinvention. In the bag of FIGS. 6 and 7, a single slit 28 is provided inthe front panel 40 of the bag and after the closure strip 30 is peeledfrom the bag, the edges of the slit 28 must usually be spread to someextent to enable the removal of the bag contents. In contrast to this,the bag of FIG. in its front panel 40 includes two slits 104 and 106extending parallel to the side edges of the front panel. These slits 104and 106 define between themselves an intermediate strip 108 which isbonded to the closure strip 30 so that when the closure strip is peeledfrom the bag the strip 108 remains with the closure strip and exposes awide mouth 110 in the front panel through which the contents 80 of thebag may be removed. Adjacent the left-hand end of the bag,.as viewed inFIG. 10, the front panel 40 also includes a transverse slit or weakenedline 112 which defines one end of the intermediate strip 10, this end ofthe bag being that end from which peeling of the closure strip 30 fromthe bag is to be initiated. A similar transverse slit 1 13 may be madeat the other end of the bag but is not always necessary.

Except for the bag of FIG. 10 including two slits 104 and 106 in placeof the single slit 28 of the bag of FIGS. 6 and 7, the bag of FIG. 10 isor may be identical to the bag of FIGS. 6 and 7 and therefore need notbe further described in detail.

Apparatus for carrying out the initial steps of the process for making abag such as shown in FIG. 10 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and isidentical to that apparatus shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 except that at theadhesive applying station 86, the adhesive applying roll 88 is designedto apply an additional line 114 of adhesive to the web 82 for thepurpose of bonding the intermediate strip 108 of each blank to the web96 which eventually becomes the closure strip 30 of each blank. Thestrip 1 14 of adhesive is narrower than the spacing between the twoslits defining the intermediate strip so that the adhesive does notcontaminate the edges of the slits. Also, at the slitting station 90,the slitting roll 92 is designed to make two lengthwise slits 104 and106 in the web 82 as well as the transverse slit 112, and the transverseslit 113 if used, for each blank. After the marrying operation performedat the station 94, the compdsite web is cut, folded and sealed, aspreviously described, to form the finished bags.

It will, of course, be understood that as far as finished bags areconcerned, the present invention is not strictly limited to theparticular constructions shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIG. 10, and thatinstead the invention may be applied to many other difi'erent shapes,styles and forms of bags. For example, the bags shown in FIGS. 6 and 7and in FIG. 10 are both bags which are provided with gussets along bothlongitudinal edges in order to provide for a relatively large amount ofexpansion of the bag from its flattened state. If desired, however, oneor both of the gussets of each bag may be omitted; and FIG. 13 by way ofexample shows a blank 116 from which a bag having no side gussets may bemade. The blank 116 of FIG. 13 is similar to the blank 10 of FIG. 1except for omitting the gusset panels 42, 44, 46 and 48 of the blank 10.The various features of the blank 116 have, therefore, been given thesame reference numerals as the corresponding features of the blank 10 ofFIG. 1, except for such reference numerals being primed in FIG. 13. Afinished bag is made from the blank 116 of FIG. 13 in the same manner asa finished bag is made from the blank 10 of FIG. 1 except that infolding the blank 116 the rear panel portion 500 is first folded alongthe fold line 12 and the rear panel portion 50b is then folded along thefold line 22' into partially overlying relationship with the portion500' to form the rear panel with no additional folds being required todefine and provide gusset panel portions.

FIGS. 14 and 15 also by way of example show a still further form of bagwhich may incorporate the present invention. FIG. 14 at 118 shows ablank from which the finished bag of FIG. 15 is made. The blank 118 isgenerally similar to the blank 10 of FIG. 1 except for having a top edge120 and a bottom edge 122 of somewhat difierent shapes than thecorresponding top and bottom edges of the blank 10. Parts of the blank 118 which correspond to similar parts of the blank 10 of FIG. I have beengiven the same reference numerals as the blank 10 of FIG. 1, except forbeing double primed, and in general need not be further described.Although not shown in FIG. 14 it should be understood that the blank 118includes a closure strip 30" extending the full length of the blank andlocated generally between the fold line 16" and the fold line 18''.

In the case of the blank 118 of FIG. 14, it will be observed that thetop edge 120 is of a shape precisely complementary to the bottom edge122. Therefore, blanks identical to the illus trated blank 118 may bemade by a web-forming process similar to that shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 andwherein the blanks are separated from the web by cutting or serratingthe web along a transverse line having a shape similar to the edge 120or the edge 122 of FIG. 14, each cut or serrated line so produceddefining the bottom edge of one blank and the top edge of the nextsucceeding blank, or vice versa, without producing any waste. The blank118 of FIG. 14 is in fact well adapted for use in making a serrated edgestyle of bag and for use in well-known equipment for making such bags.In this style of bag, the blanks for the bags are separated from the webby first being serrated along the eventual line of separation. Then, ata later station in the bag-forming machine, the

forwardmost blank of the web is separated from the remainder of the webby being accelerated relan've to the remainder of the web, causing it tobe torn from the remainder of the web along the serrated line.

In comparing the blank 118 of FIG. 14 to the blank 10 of FIG. 1 it willbe noted that the blank 118 below the fold line 26" is substantiallysimilar in shape to the blank 10 below the fold line 26 of the blank 10,and after the blank 118 is folded along the vertical fold lines 12",14", 16", 18", 20" and 22", it is folded along the horizontal fold line26" in the same manner as the blank 10 to bring the various end flapsadjacent the fold line 26" into overlying relationship with the rearpanel 50" to which they are adhesively or otherwise bonded, as shown inFIG. 15. However, above the upper horizontal fold line 24" the blank 118differs from the blank 10 of FIG. I in that the front panel end flap 52"is of a shorter dimension, as measured along the length of the blank,than are the end flaps 60a" and 60b". Therefore, after the blank 118 isfolded along the vertical fold lines 12", 14", 16", 18", 20" and 22",the end flaps adjacent the horizontal fold line 24" are folded, as shownin FIG. 15, in such a direction as to bring them into overlyingrelationship to the front panel 40" and closure strip 30" to which theyare secured by a suitable adhesive or other bonding means.

I claim:

1. A filled and sealed bag of flexible sheet material which is easilyopened to remove its contents, said bag comprising a rectangular rearpanel, a rectangular front panel overlying said rear panel and ofsubstantially the same size and shape as said rear panel, each of saidfront and rear panels having two parallel side edges and two parallelend edges, means joining said front panel to said rear panel along eachof its four edges to the corresponding edge of said rear panel to form apocket within which pocket the contents of said bag is received, saidfront panel having a slit therein located between and arranged generallylengthwise of its two side edges, said slit being located a substantialdistance from each of said two side edges of said front panel, a closurestrip of sheet material overlying said front panel and closing saidslit, and bonding means securing said closure strip to said front panelwhile nevertheless allowing it to be peelably removed therefrom toexpose said slit and to allow the contents of said pocket to be removedthrough said slit, said slit extending the full length of said frontpanel between said two end edges of said front panel, said closure stripoverlying the full extent of said front panel, and said front panelhaving an end flap connected to each of its two end edges and said rearpanel likewise having an end flap connected to each of its end edges,the end flaps of said front and said rear panel at each end edge of saidfront panel overlying one another and being folded about the associatedend edge of said front panel so as to overlie a portion of said rearpanel.

2. A bag as defined in claim 1 further characterized by the end flap ofsaid front panel at each end edge of said front panel being longer in adirection perpendicular to such end edge than the associated end flap ofsaid rear panel, and means adjacent each of said end edges of said rearpanel for adhesively sealing the associated end flaps of said front andrear panels to said rear panel.

3. A bag as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said closurestrip also including two end flaps each located at a respective one ofsaid end edges of said front panel and folded around such end edge ofsaid front panel so as to overlie the associated end flaps of said frontand rear panels.

4. A bag as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said means forsecuring said closure strip to said front panel including a quantity ofadhesive located in the vicinity of each of said end edges of said frontpanel and extending between said side.

edges of said front panel, at least one of said end flaps of saidclosure strip having a free edge parallel to its associated end edge ofsaid front panel and said latter adhesive terminating short of said freeedge so as to leave a portion of said closure strip end flap adjacentsaid free edge unsecured to the 4 remainder of said bag enabling it tobe grasped to initiate the peeling of said closure strip from said frontpanel.

5. A bag as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said meansjoining said front panel to said rear panel including at least twogusset panels extending along each of said side edges of said frontpanel and integrally connected with one another and with said front andrear panels by fold lines parallel to said side edges, said gussetpanels when said bag is in a flattened condition being sandwichedbetween said front and rear panels and extending inwardly from said sideedges of said front panel.

{5. A bag as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said frontpanel having a second slit in addition to said first mentioned slitwhich second slit is arranged parallel to said first mentioned slit soas to define an intermediate strip of sheet material between said twoslits, and means securing said intermediate strip to said closure stripso that as said closure strip is peeled from said front panel saidintermediate strip is removed from said front panel with said closurestrip to provide a mouth defined by the space previously occupied bysaid intermediate strip through which the contents of said pocket may beremoved.

7.A bag as defined in claim 6 further characterized by said front panelincluding a third slit extending between said first two mentioned slitsnear one of said end edges of said front panel and defining one end ofsaid intermediate strip.

8. A filled and sealed bag of flexible sheet material which is easilyopened to remove its contents, said bag being made from a generallyrectangular blank having two generally two opposite edges of such blankand also having a generally rectangular front panel located between saidrear panel portions, said two rear panel portions of said blank beingfolded relative to the remainder of said blank into overlying relationwith said front panel and into partially overlapping relation to oneanother, means bonding said two rear panel portions to one anotherwithin their zone of overlap and along a line generally parallel to saidtwo-opposite edges of said blank to form said two rear panel portionsinto a single rear panel, said front panel and said rear panel forming apocket therebetween within which the contents of said bag is received,said front panel having a slit therein located between and arrangedsecuring said closure strip to said front panel while neverthelessallowing it to be peelably removed therefrom to expose said slit and toallow the contents of said pocket to be removed through said slit.

9. A bag as defined in claim 8 further characterized by at least twogusset panels extending along each of said side edges of said frontpanel and integrally connected with one another and with said front andrear anels by fold lines parallel to said side edges, said gusset pane swhen said bag is in a flattened condition being sandwiched between saidfront and rear panels and extending inwardly from said side edges ofsaid front panel.

10. A filled and sealed bag of flexible sheet material which is easilyopened to remove its contents, said bag being made from a piece offlexible sheet material having two parallel edge portions positioned tooverlap one another to form said piece of material into a generallytubular body the interior of which constitutes a pocket within which thecontents of said bag is received, means bonding said two edge portions.to one another within their zone of overlap along a line parallel tosaid edge portions, means for sealing the opposite ends of saidgenerally tubular body, said piece of flexible material having a slittherein arranged generally parallel to and spaced from said edgeportions, a closure strip of sheet material overlying and closing saidslit, and bonding means securing said closure strip to said piece ofmaterial while nevertheless allowing it to be

1. A filled and sealed bag of flexible sheet material which is easilyopened to remove its contents, said bag comprising a rectangular rearpanel, a rectangular front panel overlying said rear panel and ofsubstantially the same size and shape as said rear panel, each of saidfront and rear panels having two parallel side edges and two parallelend edges, means joining said front panel to said rear panel along eachof its four edges to the corresponding edge of said rear panel to form apocket within which pocket the contents of said bag is received, saidfront panel having a slit therein located between and arranged generallylengthwise of its two side edges, said slit being located a substantialdistance from each of said two side edges of said front panel, a closurestrip of sheet material overlying said front panel and closing saidslit, and bonding means securing said closure strip to said front panelwhile nevertheless allowing it to be peelably removed therefrom toexpose said slit and to allow the contents of said pocket to be removedthrough said slit, said slit extending the full length of said frontpanel between said two end edges of said front panel, said closure stripoverlying the full extent of said front panel, and said front panelhaving an end flap connected to each of its two end edges and said rearpanel likewise having an end flap connected to each of its end edges,the end flaps of said front and said rear panel at each end edge of saidfront panel overlying one another and being folded about the associatedend edge of said front panel so as to overlie a portion of said rearpanel.
 2. A bag as defined in claim 1 further characterized by the endflap of said front panel at each end edge of said front panel beinglonger in a direction perpendicular to such end edge than the associatedend flap of said rear panel, and means adjacent each of said end edgesof said rear panel for adhesively sealing the associated end flaps ofsaid front and rear panels to said rear panel.
 3. A bag as defined inclaim 1 further characterized by said closure strip also including twoend flaps each located at a respective one of said end edges of saidfront panel and folded around such end edge of said front panel so as tooverlie the associated end flaps of said front and rear panels.
 4. A bagas defined in claim 3 further characterized by said means for securingsaid closure strip to said front panel including a quantity of adhesivelocated in the vicinity of each of said end edges of said front paneland extending between said side edges of said front panel, at least oneof said end flaps of said closure strip having a free edge parallel toits associated end edge of said front panel and said latter adhesiveterminating short of said free edge so as to leave a portion of saidclosure strip end flap adjacent said free edge unsecured to theremainder of said bag enabling it to be grasped to initiate the peelingof said closure strip from said front panel.
 5. A bag as defined inclaim 4 further characterized by said means joining said front panel tosaid rear panel including at least two gusset panels extending alongeach of said side edges of said front panel and integrally connectedwith one another and with said front and rear panels by fold linesparallel to said side edges, said gusset panels when said bag is in aflattened condition being sandwiched between said front and rear panelsand extending inwardly from said side edges of said front panel.
 6. Abag as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said front panelhaving a second slit in addition to said first mentioned slit whichsecond slit is arranged parallel to said first mentioned slit so as todefine an intermediate strip of sheet material between said two slits,and means securing said intermediate strip to said closure strip so thatas said closure strip is peeled from said front panel said intermediatestrip is removed from said front panel with said closure strip toprovide a mouth defined by the space previously occupied by saidintermediate strip through which the contents of said pocket may beremoved.
 7. A bag as defined in claim 6 further characterized by saidfront panel including a third slit extending between said first twomentioned slits near one of said end edges of said front panel anddefining one end of said intermediate strip.
 8. A filled and sealed bagof flexible sheet material which is easily opened to remove itscontents, said bag being made from a generally rectangular blank havingtwo generally rectangular rear panel portions located respectivelyadjacent two opposite edges of such blank and also having a generallyrectangular front panel located between said rear panel portions, saidtwo rear panel portions of said blank being folded relative to theremainder of said blank into overlying relation with said front paneland into partially overlapping relation to one another, means bondingsaid two rear panel portions to one another within their zone of overlapand along a line generally parallel to said two opposite edges of saidblank to form said two rear panel portions into a single rear panel,said front panel and said rear panel forming a pocket therebetweenwithin which the contents of said bag is received, said front panelhaving a slit therein located between and arranged generally lengthwiseof its two side edges, said slit being located a substantial distancefrom each of said two side edges of said front panel, a closure strip ofsheet material overlying said front panel and closing said slit, andbonding means securing said closure strip to said front panel whilenevertheless allowing it to be peelably removed therefrom to expose saidslit and to allow the contents of said pocket to be removed through saidslit.
 9. A bag as defined in claim 8 further characterized by at leasttwo gusset panels extending along each of said side edges of said frontpanel and integrally connected with one another and with said front andrear panels by fold lines parallel to said side edges, said gussetpanels when said bag is in a flattened condition being sandwichedbetween said front and rear panels and extending inwardly from said sideedges of said front panel.
 10. A filled and sealed bag of flexible sheetmaterial which is easily opened to remove its contents, said bag beingmade from a piece of flexible sheet material having two parallel edgeportions positioned to overlap one another to form said piece ofmaterial into a generally tubular body the interior of which constitutesa pocket within which the contents of said bag is received, meansbonding said two edge portions to one another within their zone ofoverlap along a line parallel to said edge portions, means for sealingthe opposite ends of said generally tubular body, said piece of flexiblematerial having a slit therein arranged generally parallel to and spacedfrom said edge portions, a closure strip of sheet material overlying andclosing said slit, and bonding means securing said closure strip to saidpiece of material while nevertheless allowing it to be peelably removedtherefrom to expose said slit and to allow the contents of said pocketto be removed through said slit.